History Characters / TheLegendOfZeldaGanonGanondorf

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[[redirect:Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheTriforceWielders]]

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%% EDITORS' NOTE: As seen in the following video, the Japanese original of Skyward Sword likely didn't intend for Demise to be Ganon's previous incarnation, instead stating that his war out of hate for the gods will continue.
%% https://youtu.be/S7DKEbLokCk?si=WePbJVF7BDq8d-Rg&t=810
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!![[center: [-'''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheTriforceWielders The Triforce Wielders]]''' (Ganon/Ganondorf)-]]][[center:[-'''Recurring:''' [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaGoddessesAndAllies Goddesses and Allies]], [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaVillainsAndEnemies Villains and Enemies]], [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaRaces Races]]-]]][[center: [-'''Main Series:''' ''Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaI'', ''Characters/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle games]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords Four Swords]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures Four Swords Adventures]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap The Minish Cap]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTriForceHeroes Tri Force Heroes]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom]]''-]]][[center: [-'''Spin-Offs:''' ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames Philips CD-i Games]]'', ''[[Characters/HyruleWarriors Hyrule Warriors]]'', ''[[Characters/CadenceOfHyrule Cadence of Hyrule]]'', ''[[Characters/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity]]''-]]]


!Ganondorf / Ganon
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_ganon.png]]
->'''Debut''': ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'' (Ganon), ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' (Ganondorf)\\
'''Voiced by''': Creator/TakashiNagasako (''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''), Hironori Miyata (''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU''), Creator/TaitenKusunoki (''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'') Kosuke Takaguchi (''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom''; Japanese), Creator/MatthewMercer (''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom''; English)

'''''[[EvilOverlord The Great King of Evil.]]'''''

Ganondorf is the ArchEnemy of Link and Zelda, and the most prolific and recurring BigBad of the franchise, serving as such in a majority of titles and usually still having some influence over events when he isn't. Ganondorf was once a [[KingOfThieves Gerudo king]] who coveted the Triforce that held the power of the gods. Eventually he entered the Sacred Realm and took hold of the Triforce, but due to his imbalanced heart, it split into its three virtues, leaving him with only the Triforce of Power since he prized power above all else. Still possessing great strength and magical prowess from his single piece, Ganondorf began his war to conquer Hyrule, and his power eventually corrupted him and transformed him into the demonic beast Ganon.
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Unlike the different incarnations of Link and Zelda, who are {{Legacy Character}}s, most of the Ganondorfs and Ganons seen across the franchise are the same being; either he was sealed away in the past and has been released, or he was killed and has been resurrected. ''Four Swords Adventures'' instead states that its version of Ganondorf is a reincarnation, ''Tears of the Kingdom'' has a Ganondorf with a unique backstory, and a couple other appearances are vague about how he was beaten last time and how he has returned now. His appearance, personality, motivations, and plans often vary between games, but his ultimate desire is usually the same -- to obtain the full power of the Triforce and use it to TakeOverTheWorld.
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''Literature/HyruleHistoria'' and the English version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', the earliest game in the franchise's chronology, imply further ancient origins of Ganondorf. In the distant past before the founding of Hyrule, the [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]] Demise sought the Triforce and was slain by an early incarnation of Link. With his dying breath he placed a curse on Link and Zelda, declaring that "an incarnation of [Demise's] hatred" will plague them and their bloodlines for eternity. This curse resulted in the creation of Ganondorf, and it is why he keeps coming back no matter how often or how thoroughly he is defeated -- through all the timelines and all the centuries, the Hero and the Princess are destined to keep crossing paths with the King of Evil.[[note]]The Japanese original's iteration of the curse instead states that Demise's hatred will be carried on by his army and is more vague about Demise's ability to reincarnate.[[/note]]

* The Ganons of the "Wild Saga" can be found [[Characters/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamityGanonAndDarkForces here]] (''VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity''), [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWildGanonAndYigaClan here]] or [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWildGanondorf here]] (''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'')
* Other incarnations of Ganon can be found at their respective games' character pages.
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* AchillesHeel: The Master Sword is typically this, it's not called the "Blade of Evil's Bane" for nothing. In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', Silver Arrows are needed to finish him off.
* AffablyEvil: [[DependingOnTheWriter Occasionally]], Ganondorf is genuinely polite and respectful towards Link, viewing him as a WorthyOpponent and speaking to him as an equal. This is particularly pronounced in ''A Link to the Past'' and ''The Wind Waker'', where he has mellowed out following his initial defeat and is (somewhat) willing to put aside his pride to compliment his nemesis.
* AlasPoorVillain: The defeats of his original incarnation are sometimes played somberly:
** After seemingly being defeated at the end of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', Zelda laments how Ganondorf's hubris led to his own downfall.
--->'''Zelda:''' Ganondorf…pitiful man… Without a strong, righteous mind, he could not control the power of the gods…and…
** The entire climax of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' serves as this for him, as he laments his DarkAndTroubledPast and prepares to finally accomplish his life's goal of claiming the Triforce… [[YankTheDogsChain only for the King of Hyrule to reach it first]], crushing his hopes and sending him spiraling into maniacal laughter. In his final breath, he takes a moment to feel Hyrule's wind— the wind that he coveted so desperately his entire life— on his face one last time before being KilledOffForReal. Even the King of Hyrule expresses sympathy for Ganondorf's fate.
--->'''King Daphnes:''' If only I could do things over again… Not a day of my life has gone by without my thoughts turning to my kingdom of old. I have lived bound to Hyrule. In that sense, [[NotSoDifferentRemark I was the same as Ganondorf]].
** After he dies at the end of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', still refusing to give up on the hatred for Hyrule that consumed his life [[DefiantToTheEnd to the bitter end]], Zelda bows her head and begins [[AllLovingHero praying for him]].
* AlmightyIdiot: A recurring consequence of Ganon's lust for power. Whenever Ganondorf uses the Triforce of Power to become Ganon, he grows more powerful but usually it seems he ends up devolving his intelligent mind into that of a primal beast. Other examples of his intelligence loss include his botched resurrection in the ''Oracle'' games, and Calamity Ganon, a manifestation of Ganondorf's malice and hatred that escaped his frozen body, in ''Breath of the Wild''. It's quite telling that Ganondorf is more dangerous when he is significantly weaker but ''[[SanityHasAdvantages sane]]''.
* AlternateSelf: The Ganondorfs seen in the Decline, Adult, and Child timelines are this to each other -- with the exception of the Ganondorf in ''Four Swords Adventures'', who is explicitly stated to be a reincarnation, the Ganondorfs in those games are all the same individual as the one from ''Ocarina of Time''. In addition, he has an effeminate (implied) Lorule counterpart named Yuga, who fuses with Ganon to become superior.
** In the Downfall timeline, Ganon is at his most powerful, having claimed the entire Sacred Realm and the Triforce with it. After he is destroyed by Link in ''A Link to the Past'', he is brought back by Twinrova, but he CameBackWrong, devolving into a mindless beast with a thirst for power and destruction.
** In the Child timeline, the only thought on his mind is revenge, having been thwarted before he can even set his plans into action. Even then he still obtains the Triforce of Power as part of a "Divine Prank", but he is killed by the Link seen in ''Twilight Princess''. His reincarnation in ''Four Swords Adventures'' behaves slightly more like his Downfall counterpart, as a power-hungry monster.
** In the Adult timeline, TheBadGuyWins, but at what cost? He may have conquered Hyrule, but it's all gone. As centuries pass in-universe, Ganondorf has become more philosophical, yearning to bring back the once lost kingdom. %%When he is killed by Link in ''Wind Waker'', he has finally been [[DeathEqualsRedemption freed from Demise's curse]], allowing his spirit to escape the cycle of reincarnation.
** While non-canon to the official timeline, the version of Ganondorf in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' hews closer to his ''Ocarina of Time'' self, being TheChessmaster who set the entire story in motion, but takes several design cues from his ''Twilight Princess'' outfit, and Demise.
** Non-canon, but yet another version of Ganon appears in ''VideoGame/CadenceOfHyrule'', as both a teenage Ganondorf and his blue pig-monster form in the future.
** Ganondorf in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' appears to be completely separate from any Ganons from the past games as he lacks the past Ganondorf’s history and origins and comes off as another reincarnation instead of being the same person as shown before.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: In contrast to the Gerudo's usually brown skintones, Ganondorf almost always has green skin.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: The Gerudo people all live in deserts and have a vaguely Arabic culture, and consequently often have medium to dark brown skin. Ganondorf himself, however, is Ambiguously ''Green'' for whatever reason. Conversely, his Lorule counterpart Yuga has stark, pasty white skin.
* AmbiguouslyRelated: While Ganondorf has a connection to Demise, the finer details behind it vary from source to source. In the Japanese version of ''Skyward Sword'', Demise promises that his demon army will continue to plague Hylia's subjects, which is fulfilled by Ganondorf coming to power and taking over Demise's role as the Demon King. ''Hyrule Historia'' and ''Hyrule Warriors'' paint Ganondorf as the reincarnation of Demise himself, although the English version of ''Skyward Sword'' leans more towards Ganondorf being the AnthropomorphicPersonification of Demise's hatred.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Ganondorf was ruthless from the start of his career, as he sought to acquire more power by any means. His main character flaw is that no amount of power -- not even the full and completed Triforce -- is ever enough for him.
* AncientEvil: In many games, Ganon is considered an ancient, reoccurring evil dating back hundreds if not thousands of years who must be sealed or destroyed to save Hyrule.
* AnimalisticAbomination: Introduced as a boar-headed monster in the first game, he has increasingly been portrayed as the living embodiment of evil destined to return every few centuries to ravage Hyrule. He especially fits this trope in ''Breath of the Wild'', where he primarily takes the form of a boar-shaped cloud of pure Malice with nary a hint of human attributes and is given the moniker "Hatred and Malice Incarnate".
* AnimalMotifs: Pigs and Boars, representing his greed and lust for power.
* TheAntichrist: In the English version of ''Skyward Sword'', he is implied to be the incarnation of hatred of [[GodOfEvil Demon King Demise]], who reincarnated himself into mortal form to match his rival, the goddess Hylia, and swore revenge on her and her champion. As part of the curse, Ganon is destined to bring ruin to Hyrule every time he shows up until Link and Zelda defeat him.
* ArchEnemy: He's fought half a dozen different Links and Zeldas.
* ArtEvolution: The latter games put more emphasis on his human form and less on his PigMan or Wereboar form. But since ''Ocarina of Time'', his voice acting has remained the same: he's always been depicted with a deep voice and a menacing laugh.
* AsLongAsThereIsEvil: The English translation of ''Skyward Sword'' implies that, due to being the manifestation of Demise’s hatred, he can never truly be defeated and will always reincarnate in some form if he is killed. The Japanese original instead states that Demise's curse instead enables all monsters to be reborn and continue their war with the gods' creations, meaning Ganondorf may be a beneficiary of this in the Japanese original rather than the source.
* BackFromTheDead: Unlike Zelda and Link, who are new reincarnations in most appearances, Ganondorf's return is usually due to his original self from ''Ocarina of Time'' being brought back from the dead by his minions.
** This is the villains' goal in ''The Adventure of Link'', as Ganon died in the events of the original ''The Legend of Zelda''. This only happens if you got a Game Over, and has presumably happened several times offscreen.
** The linked ending of the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle]]'' games features a Ganon revived from the dead. He CameBackWrong, though.
** He is also briefly resurrected in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'' before being taken over by Yuga.
** He attempts this in ''Breath of the Wild'', but his resurrection is interrupted by Link, resulting in him being fought as an undead-looking cyborg.
* BadassCape: He wears a cloak in human form ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'', and as Ganon in the games set in the Decline Era.
* BadassLongcoat: In ''The Wind Waker'', and in his [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G23eqYm9vCU/T0OqseTmzdI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/55SJoPFmqtY/s1600/ganny_oracles.jpg concept art]] for the ''Oracle'' games.
* BatmanGambit: In ''Ocarina Of Time'', he just waits for Link to pull out the Master Sword for him, correctly suspecting that Link will unlock the door to the Triforce that he himself could not.
* BeardOfEvil: In ''Wind Waker'', ''Twilight Princess'', and ''Tears of the Kingdom'', Ganondorf has a beard and is--as always--a warlord determined to conquer Hyrule, though ''Wind Waker'' acribes him some sympathetic motives for wanting to do so.
* {{BFS}}: Ganondorf tends to wield two-handed swords whenever not armed with the Trident or simply using his fists. The swords he uses as Ganon in ''Ocarina of Time'', the blade his ''Ocarina of Time'' incarnation wields in the Space World 2000 Demo and ''Smash Bros.'' series, the Sword of the Six Sages in ''Twilight Princess'', and the Blades of Despair, Darkness and Demise in ''Hyrule Warriors'' are standout examples.
* BigBad: The main antagonist of the entire series and usually the main villain of each game, with a few exceptions.
* BigOlEyebrows: Has them in his human form. They're so big that they connect to his hair!
* BloodKnight: Ganondorf ''loves'' a good challenge, and enjoys facing off against Link specifically because of the hero's status as a WorthyOpponent that can match him in combat.
* BrainyPig:
** In the early games, Ganon was a cunning humanoid boar-like SorcerousOverlord with vampiric traits that ruled over many other animal humanoid monsters such as the dog-like Moblins and leonine Lynels.
** Inverted in most later games where his beast form is a raging, primal beast who relies solely on brute strength and his innate magical powers (in the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames,'' this was because the ritual required for his resurrection had been botched).
* BreakoutVillain: Since his debut in ''Ocarina of Time'' in his human form, Ganondorf has become one of the most reoccurring villains in the series.
* CameBackWrong: The linked finale to the ''Oracle'' games and ''Breath of the Wild'' deal with the effects of a botched resurrection. In the former, Twinrova had to use herself as a sacrifice for the ritual when she couldn't use Princess Zelda as intended, leaving Ganon a mindless beast. In the latter, Zelda's seal and Link's abrupt appearance in the Sanctum forced him to scrounge together a haphazard {{Cyborg}} body.
* CardCarryingVillain: He happily calls himself "King of Evil" and "Dark Lord"; he makes no secret of his sheer love of power; but he's pragmatic, intelligent, strikingly brave, and perhaps slightly tragic (''The Wind Waker'' depicted him in gloomy middle age), and he enjoys a challenge from a worthy hero.
* CloseRangeCombatant: Link has handled his share of ranged weapons and Zelda is a fine archer, but Ganondorf relies entirely on hand-to-hand combat if using magic is ineffective or unnecessary. He's made use of tridents, swords (normally two one-handed swords, occasionally a great two-handed Chinese broadsword), and the occasional battle magic or weight-triggered earthquake. ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' [[{{Flanderization}} flanderizes]] this aspect of him by making him a brawler MovesetClone of [[VideoGame/FZero Captain Falcon]], drawing far more attention to hand-to-hand moves that he used rather offhandedly in various boss fights and cutscenes.
* CompleteImmortality: In ''Ocarina of Time'', it's established that his piece of the Triforce makes him immortal, and for the most part, the series sticks with it. However, if he loses his piece, he ''does'' die for good, as seen in ''The Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess'', although in the case of the latter he was reincarnated.
* TheCorrupter: He is able to turn people toward evil (or sometimes ''more'' evil) through his dark magic and promises of power:
** Later supplementary materials for ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'' indicate that the evil wizard adviser to the prince who drove the latter to cruel acts in search for the Triforce was secretly an alias of Ganon's.
** ''Ocarina of Time'' states that he corrupted his own tribe. The Gerudo were occasional DesertBandits before, but Nabooru states that they only did so to survive in the desert. Before Ganondorf took over, they had strict standards on [[NeverHurtAnInnocent who was a valid target]]. After he took over, they became ruthless soldiers who would target anyone he ordered them to for his megalomaniacal goals out of fear of his power. When the Gerudo were brought back in ''Breath of the Wild'' after ages free from his influence, they had dropped banditry entirely and become just as friendly as the other intelligent races of Hyrule. Even uncountable generations later, Ganon is hated on a personal level by his former people who see him as nothing but a stain on their collective honor.
** ''Twilight Princess'' shows how he got Zant to make a DealWithTheDevil where Zant would be granted the power to take over the Twilight Realm in exchange for spreading the Twilight over Hyrule so Ganondorf could take over the latter.
* CosmicKeystone: He is the destined bearer of the Triforce of Power, 1/3 of a divine wish-granting artifact.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: As revealed in ''The Wind Waker'', Ganondorf grew up as the ruler of a poor, starving kingdom that was forced to resort to thievery to survive. Recognizing Hyrule's prosperity, Ganondorf eventually grew into the BigBad he is today.
* DarkIsEvil: His ColorMotif leans on black and very dark tones. And whenever his power grows, darkness begins to blot out the world. Hell, the world he ''created'' is called the Dark World.
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget:
** Centuries of plotting to steal the Triforce and take over Hyrule caused Ganondorf to forget ''why'' he wanted to do so in the first place: to give his people a better life. By the time he remembers at the climax of ''The Wind Waker'', his people are all gone, and his desire for power is [[IveComeTooFar all he has left to live for]].
** In ''Tears of the Kingdom'', both Rauru and the Gerudo Sage say that Ganondorf was once [[TheGoodKing a great leader]] and [[FallenHero a hero to his people]], but eventually lost his way due to [[AmbitionIsEvil his lust for power]]. It's clear that, by the time of the game's backstory, Ganondorf has all but forgotten about his benevolent past in his war against Rauru.
* DecompositeCharacter: Initially, the only differences between Ganondorf the human and Ganon the monster are their appearances and the fact that the latter is his stronger form. But Ganondorf has been increasingly portrayed with more complex characterization (with ''The Wind Waker'' particularly giving him a more sympathetic initial motivation for his actions) and has retained the intelligent mastermind personality the character had pre-''Ocarina of Time'', whereas Ganon has been increasingly portrayed from ''Ocarina'' onward as a bestial, mindless monster who is typically a SilentAntagonist (especially in ''Breath of the Wild''). In the timeline featuring ''Breath of the Wild'' and ''Tears of the Kingdom'', it's established that Ganon is TheHeartless for Ganondorf as opposed to something he can transform into.
* DemonicPossession: He uses this on Zelda in ''Twilight Princess'', and it is implied that he did so on Agahnim in ''A Link to the Past''.
* DemonOfHumanOrigin: Originally introduced as the Demon King who ruled over the monsters in Hyrule, Ganon was revealed to be once a mortal human named Ganondorf in ''A Link to the Past'', which is later elaborated in ''Ocarina of Time'' to be a race of humans known as the Gerudo. His transformation into a demon was the result of him stealing the Triforce, which gave him god-like powers but transformed his appearance into a hideous pig monster. ''Skyward Sword'' later complicates the matter by revealing that Demon King Demise cursed Link and Zelda to be haunted by his reincarnation, heavily implying that Ganondorf was a demon reincarnated as human.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Whether or not Ganon has any sense of honor depends on the game.
* DesertBandits: He was the king of the Gerudo, a tribe of desert-dwelling thieves. He shocked his countrymen (or countrywomen, as the case may be) with his tactics; but he envied the Hylians' pleasant, temperate surroundings, and wanted to lead his people to that better life.
* DevilsPitchfork: One of his most iconic weapons, he wields it in ''A Link to the Past'', the ''Oracle'' games, ''A Link Between Worlds'' when fused with Yuga, ''Hyrule Warriors'' as his secondary weapon from its Legends rerelease onwards, and a Zonai cave painting in the teaser trailer for ''Tears of the Kingdom''. His reincarnated self in ''Four Swords Adventures'' wields one he stole from the Pyramid, which has powerful abilities such as leaving a trail of fire when thrown and shooting lightning bolts that send enemies to the Dark World.
* DiabolicalMastermind: Ganondorf is possibly the most intelligent character in the franchise, and is more charismatic than you'd expect from someone with a nasty temper, a constant desire to be in charge, and the power to turn into a giant anthropomorphic boar. In ''Ocarina of Time'', he easily manipulated Link and Zelda into opening the Door of Time for him; in the lead-in to ''A Link to the Past'', he gained the trust of the King of Hyrule and carried out a palace coup, even though the king had all the necessary information to figure out that this reclusive wizard wielding an unfamiliar magic ''just might'' have something to do with the weakening seal on the Sacred Realm and the great plague that had emerged from it.
* DimensionLord: In the Decline timeline, he was sealed away in the Sacred Realm and conquered it, turning it into the Dark World. In the Child timeline, he indirectly took control of the Twilight Realm by using Zant as a proxy.
* TheDreaded: While games early in their respective timelines (like ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'') depict Ganon as a relatively unknown entity, those later in their timelines like ''A Link Between Worlds'' and ''Breath of the Wild'' show that, even if he has yet to show his face in the present, people are terrified of him as the King of Evil who has repeatedly brought unprecedented death and destruction to Hyrule.
* DualWield: He wields a pair of swords in ''Ocarina of Time'', ''The Wind Waker'', and ''Hyrule Warriors''.
* DubNameChange: The English Super Nintendo instruction booklet for ''A Link to the Past'' notoriously made the claim that he was known as "Ganondorf Dragmire" and was also called by his alias "Mandrag Ganon" (supposedly meaning "Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves"), but this information is simply not present in the [[http://www.zeldalegends.net/files/text/z3translation/z3_manual_story.html Japanese Super Famicom version]] and was subsequently omitted entirely from the Game Boy Advance manual. For 25 years straight, this was '''never''' referenced again in any later game or related material until the name Ganondorf Dragmire suddenly resurfaced in an April 2017 update to [[http://zelda.com/online-guide/ Zelda.com]] -- which, while an official website, has a proven negative track record of including [[http://zelda.gamepedia.com/Community:Zelda.com#Bad_reputation_amongst_fans flat-out erroneous details.]]
* DyingAsYourself: He is often killed/sealed away as the demon Ganon. But there are a few exceptions:
** ''The Wind Waker'' is the first game that has Ganondorf be the FinalBoss as oppose to Ganon and consequently, Ganondorf is killed as a Gerudo instead of a monster. The official ''Hyrule Encyclopedia'' goes even further, suggesting that, by remembering his original motive and past, [[DeathEqualsRedemption Ganondorf dies as a free man no longer bound to the curse that binds him to Link, Zelda and the Triforce]].
** ''Twilight Princess'' also has Ganondorf dying as a mortal Gerudo, deprived of the Triforce of Power and succumbing to the fatal wound on his chest. However, unlike his ''Wind Waker'' counterpart, Ganondorf's hatred persists even after death, causing him to reincarnate into a new male Gerudo who also lusts for power and transforms into the demon Ganon again in ''Four Swords Adventures''.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference:
** Downplayed with Beast Ganon's original design of a blue furred pig without a [[FurryFemaleMane fiery mane of any sort]]. Outside of retro titles like ''Four Swords Adventures'' or ''A Link Between Worlds'', this design has mainly disappeared with Beast Ganon having green fur and red hair-like "fur" over his head. Even in many titles that use the Retro Ganon design, they often still find a way to add red hair.
** In the very first game, Ganon wore no clothing [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal outside of a shirt]] with [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset a skull necklace]]. Every other game, including the Satellaview remake, depicts Beast Ganon at least covering his lower half.
* EldritchAbomination: Calamity Ganon which no longer has a physical form, but is just a swirling mass of hatred and rage in the vague shape of a boar.
* EnemyToAllLivingThings: An increasingly prominent motif for him, with his presence and/or influence typically killing off any living thing that isn't one of his monstrous creations:
** ''A Link to the Past'' shows that his [[FisherKingdom influence]] over the Dark World includes turning the plants into unhealthy-looking brown equivalents of their Light World counterparts and transforming people and animals into monstrous and occasionally undead forms.
** ''Ocarina of Time'' shows that after conquering Hyrule, he transforms Hyrule Castle and its green surroundings into a barren, lava-covered waste dominated by his Tower while also emptying Castle Town of everything but [[OurZombiesAreDifferent ReDeads]]. His influence over the rest of Hyrule includes making DeathMountain violently active, imprisoning the Gorons to feed them to Volvagia, freezing the Zora in Zora's Domain and simultaneously drying up Lake Hylia downstream, and generally spreading monsters everywhere.
** ''Twilight Princess'' has him do many of the same things as ''Ocarina'' (unsurprising, given that he's the Child timeline version of the latter), while also adding the corruption of the Twilight Realm, and conquering Hyrule and covering it in Twilight with Zant as a proxy, filling Hyrule with monsters (including Shadow Beasts, created from ordinary Twili and, by implication, possibly also Hylians), crippling its light spirits, and trapping every non-monster bar Link (who turns into a wolf), Zelda, and Midna as a helpless spirit.
** ''Breath of the Wild'' shows that the mere presence of his liquid Malice is enough to leave any area it is present completely barren of anything but his monsters and Guardians. This is especially noticeable in Hyrule Castle and the surrounding area, where all the plants are grey or brown husks presumably left over from the Great Calamity ([[HopeSproutsEternal with the exception of a single Silent Princess in Zelda's Study]]). ''Tears of the Kingdom'' later shows Gloom, Malice's refined form, which chokes the life out of Hyrule's various people and their weapons, even making the Great Fairies cough when they are resealed into their buds by [[spoiler:Phantom Ganon disguising itself as Zelda or wrecking the Master Sword, the very weapon that can defeat him.]]
* EternalVillain: Ganondorf is essentially one as a counterpart to Link's EternalHero. In the English version of ''Skyward Sword'', the original Demon King, Demise, cursed the royal family of what would become Hyrule and its chosen hero to be forever haunted by an incarnation of him and his hatred. This evil is implied to be Ganondorf and as part of the curse he has lived to become an ancient, eternally reincarnating embodiment of an even older evil that eternally returns to bring ruin to Hyrule every time he shows up until Link and Zelda defeat him.
-->'''Demise:''' My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again! Those like you... those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: In most of the games they appear together, Ganondorf is shown to love his equally villainous adoptive mothers, Koume and Kotake. In ''Wind Waker'', his swords are named after them.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]]. His MotiveRant at the end of ''The Wind Waker'' reveals that his initial descent into villainy was due to the harsh desert environment he grew up in, making him jealous of the green fields of Hyrule. However, he also takes a moment to describe the suffering of his people under the burning sun during the day and freezing wind at night, implying that he initially wanted to gain a better life not just for himself, but for [[WellIntentionedExtremist all of his people]]. Over time, however, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget he loses this motivation due to his lust for power]], and is only able to remember it centuries after they've all gone extinct.
** Furthermore, after his takeover in the BadFuture of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', every region of Hyrule is shown to be suffering under Ganondorf's tyranny… except for the Gerudo, who are operating like it's business as usual and still hold their king in high esteem. Despite his megalomaniacal goals, he spared his own people, implying that there may be some truth to his original motive.
** Horrifyingly [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] by his incarnation in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom Tears of the Kingdom]]''. While he initially appears as to be something of a WarriorPrince who fights alongside the Gerudo and is said to have been [[FallenHero a benevolent and heroic leader]], he immediately turns against them upon becoming the Demon King, even outright ordering his monsters to [[GenocideFromTheInside eliminate them all]] and wipe out their settlements.
* EvilChancellor: He becomes the King of Hyrule's trusted advisor during the events of ''Ocarina of Time'', even bowing before him, though Zelda knows he's up to no good, which is proven true since he wants the Triforce. In ''A Link To the Past'', he, as Agahnim, becomes the King's royal advisor by using previously unheard of magic to rid Hyrule of all its recent troubles...which he himself may have had a hand in.
* EvilCounterpart: To both Link and Zelda:
** Link and Zelda possess the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom respectively while Ganon himself possesses the Triforce of Power, representing the negative elements of creation. Ganon is the incarnation of a demon, much like Link is an incarnation of the original hero and Zelda herself is the human descendant/incarnation of the goddess Hylia. The comparisons to Link are especially drawn out in ''Twilight Princess'' and ''Tears of the Kingdom'', where the final fights depict them utilizing the same methods as the Hero. Specifically, the former has a phase as a quadrupedal beast, one on horseback, and one as a swordfighter that even shares a few moves, while the latter makes use of the Flurry Rush and all four weapon types available in the game. Meanwhile, all other characters (aside from his Phantom) in the ''Wild'' duology stick with one each.
* EvilIsBigger: ''Seven and a half feet tall'' in human form (although a more normal six feet or so in ''Ocarina of Time''), and probably ten or twelve feet tall in boar form. He's practically a {{Kaiju}} in ''Breath of the Wild''. It's worth noting he's actually much taller in-game, being 10+ feet in all 3 of his appearances as Ganondorf, and that the 7'6'' number originates from a listing next to a piece of some old black and white concept art in the Hyrule Historia.
* EvilIsHammy: Ganondorf is prone to laughing menacingly while bragging about how powerful he is.
* EvilLaugh: First appeared in ''The Adventure of Link'' -- where it was absolutely terrifying if you were of the target age group, since no one imagined at the time that the NES could show portraits or depict even the simplest of voice acting. Iconic ever since, to the point of being a VerbalTic in ''Ocarina of Time''.
* EvilMakesYouUgly: In ''Ocarina of Time'', Ganondorf starts as the king of the Gerudo, and a tall, handsome man. He develops [[RedRightHand yellow eyes and pointed ears]] in the seven years after he takes over Hyrule. In the final battle, he invokes the Triforce of Power to transform into a hideous pig-like monster. And in the Downfall timeline, where [[TheBadGuyWins he succeeds in defeating Link]], he remains in Ganon form for all of his subsequent appearances. Depending on the game, he [[AlmightyIdiot loses his mind]] along with his body after he becomes Ganon, with his botched revival in the ''Oracle'' games in particular reducing him to little more than a feral beast that wants to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy everything]].
* EvilOnlyHasToWinOnce:
** Subverted. The "Decline" Timeline is exactly what happens when Ganon ''does'' win -- and it still doesn't work out that well for him. Even after defeating Link and gaining the complete Triforce, the people of Hyrule still managed to fight back and managed to seal Ganon in the Sacred Realm[=/=]Dark World. However, as he still had the Triforce at his disposal, Ganon continued making wishes and building his power until the Dark World's power began seeping into the Light World too. Then a new Link shows up ("a new Hero was destined to appear"), kills him, and claims the Triforce for himself. Centuries later, Ganon reacquires the Triforce of Power and falls upon Hyrule again, but is again defeated by a new Link.
** There's ''Breath of the Wild'', where Ganon succeeded in destroying the Kingdom of Hyrule with the possessed Guardians and Divine Beasts but still got sealed up in Hyrule Castle by Zelda to give Link time to recover and eventually defeat Ganon. So really, evil's at a disadvantage in this series - and it's implied that he's realized this, which is part of why Ganon just wants to destroy everything this time.
* EvilOverlord: He isn't called the Great King of Evil for nothing. Even if he doesn't actually rule over Hyrule, he still has a loyal army of monsters to conquer Hyrule anyways.
* EvilSorcerer: Early in the franchise's life, he's described as a wicked wizard and various incarnations of him, notably Agahnim and Ganondorf, play this image straight (though they often transform themselves into the classic pig demon at the end of the game).
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: Ganon's Tower is his base of operations in several games. He sometimes hijacks Hyrule Castle for the same effect.
* EvilVirtues: Just about everything on the list. Even a certain amount of honesty. Particularly, Ganon is consistently portrayed as Patient and Diligent, working for thousands of years to hatch his plots.
* {{Expy}}: His name during the development of [[VideoGame/TheLegendofZeldaI the first game]] was Gyuumaou Hakkai, as he was conceived as an amalgamation of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie Chohakkai (Zhu Bajie, a.k.a. "Pigsy")]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Demon_King Gyuumao (Ox King)]] from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''.
* FamilialFoe: He repeatedly clashes with the bloodline of the Goddess Hylia, ie. the various Princess Zeldas. Possibly twice over, thanks to the implication that the Hero of the Sky helped found the Hylian royal family, and that at least some of the Links are ''his'' descendants and/or some are descendants of others.
* FatalFlaw: His [[AmbitionIsEvil insatiable powerlust]] proves to be this to him. When the chips are down, he is all too willing to [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity sacrifice his mind and sanity]] to achieve even greater levels of power, even though he is arguably [[SanityHasAdvantages more dangerous with his mind]] than without it. [[spoiler:This is especially noticeable with his incarnation in ''Tears of the Kingdom'', where instead of retreating after losing the battle with Link and the Sages, he sacrifices his mind and body by swallowing the stolen Secret Stone and permanently transforming into a dragon, further dooming him.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: As Ganondorf, he is refined, stylish, and charismatic... which allows him to manipulate everyone around him with ease.
* FightingAShadow: A favorite tactic of Ganon is sending his puppet to showcase a preview of what the FinalBattle will be like for Link. It's often Phantom Ganon, but he uses this for his alter-ego Aghanim, Calamity Ganon, and, to a lesser extent, Zant since the Twili Usurper did borrow Ganon's power. ''Skyward Sword'' also implies that Ganon himself is a shadow for Demon King Demise, though the latter has been long dead by the time Ganondorf took center stage.
* FinalBoss: If he's in the game, he's all but guaranteed to be this. Even if other villains take prominence, Ganon will still likely be the final challenge for Link to face.
* FisherKing: In ''Ocarina of Time'', Hyrule becomes plagued by disasters under Ganondorf's rule, with the once-lively Castle Town in particular becoming a literal ghost town whose only population is a few [=ReDeads=].
* FlamingHair: Ganon has some in his Dark Beast form in ''Breath of the Wild'', and his Demon King form in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' has some too, looking uncannily similar to his forebear Demise.
* FlawExploitation: Ganon is one of the undisputed masters of this trope, using Zelda's fears of him against her and the Kingdom of Hyrule, such as [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime accurately predicting that she thinks he wants the Spiritual Stones, when he's really after the Triforce]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures creates a dark and stormy night that makes Zelda think the Four Sword's seal on Vaati is weakening, when in reality, it wasn't and was best left untouched]]. He also exploits Link's willingness to save Zelda, and Zant's anger about not becoming ruler of the Twilight Realm to free himself.
* ForTheEvulz: Chaos and destruction are means to ends that he's very attached to, but Ganondorf also enjoys them for their own sake; this comes through particularly clearly in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess''.
* FreudianExcuse:
** It's revealed in ''Wind Waker'' that there's a very understandable beginning to Ganondorf's lust for power - the Gerudo had a bad lot in life in Hyrule, having to resort to thievery to survive and dealing with the desert's ruthless conditions from day to night. Looking at the lush land of Hyrule and the prosperity its people enjoyed in comparison, he grew jealous of it, and claims that is the reason he initially invaded. While as [[TheCaligula Hyrule's new ruler]] he brought seemingly little to no improvements for the Gerudo and [[FisherKing only seemed to devastate the beautiful land he once coveted]], this detail makes it clear that a genuine and tragic reasoning lies behind the powerlust that consumed the King of Thieves.
** It’s averted with his incarnation in ''Tears of the Kingdom'', however, as he lacks any tragic backstory and plans to conquer Hyrule solely for himself.
* FullBoarAction: His Ganon form, especially in ''Twilight Princess'' and ''Hyrule Warriors''.
* GeniusBruiser: A clever manipulator, a powerful sorcerer, and a fearsome warrior, [[VideoGame/HyruleWarriors with]] or [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros without]] weapons.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: Sometimes he's pretty front-and-center, and gets a great deal of dialogue (for a ''Zelda'' game). On other occasions, he's about as impressive as the filler villains he normally replaces. Calamity Ganon in ''Breath of the Wild'' is a justified example, as he's lost his mind after becoming a physical manifestation of rage and has degenerated into an EldritchAbomination more akin to a force of nature.
* GodhoodSeeker: His main goal in the franchise is to become a living god with the power to remake Hyrule in his own image. He usually seeks out the [[CosmicKeystone Triforce]], which can make wishes come true, and often succeeds in obtaining it. Of course, when he does obtain that power, it transforms him into a demonic boar-like beast known as [[OneWingedAngel Ganon]] and he doesn't enjoy his newfound godhood for long as [[HereditaryCurse Link and Zelda will always emerge to defeat him]].
* GodInHumanForm: In the English translation of ''Skyward Sword'', much like how Zelda is the mortal incarnation of Hylia, Ganondorf is the reincarnation of Demise -- either the incarnation of his hatred or Demise himself reborn -- destined to fight the spirit of Link and bloodline of Zelda forever. This is brought up in ''Hyrule Warriors'' and ''Breath of the Wild'', the latter of which describes Ganondorf as an ancient evil that incarnated as a Gerudo.
-->'''Demise:''' My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again! Those like you... those who share [[HeroicLineage the blood of the goddess]] and [[{{Reincarnation}} the spirit of the hero]]... They are eternally bound to this curse. An ''incarnation'' of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!
* GrandTheftMe: He does this to Zelda in ''Twilight Princess'', turning her into the boss "Puppet Zelda". He himself falls victim to this in ''A Link Between Worlds'', courtesy of Yuga.
* GreaterScopeVillain:
** He serves as this role if he has a [[TheDragon Dragon]] working for him (usually trying to resurrect him, like his surrogate mothers in the ''Oracle'' games) or if he is TheManBehindTheMan. In fact, there's a whole trope for this, and he is the TropeNamer: HijackedByGanon.
** He serves as this for his Calamity Ganon incarnation in ''Breath of the Wild'', since the Demon King himself was sealed deep beneath Hyrule Castle by Rauru years before the first Great Calamity.
* {{Greed}}: The very foundation of his character centers around greed, with his monster form resembling a giant humanoid pig and his agenda revolving around stealing. Ganondorf has specifically been shown attaining what he was after and still not being truly happy or satisfied.
* GreenEyedMonster: ''The Wind Waker'' reveals that growing up and being king of a barren, inhospitable desert caused him to see the fertility and peace of Hyrule and covet it, which is what drove him and in the end gave way to his tyranny. It's especially notable and tragic that in the position he's in throughout all of the game, he could've paved the way to change for his people or had a life in that land himself - he was able to become a trusted advisor of the man ruling the kingdom, and he spent ''7 years'' holding reign over Hyrule. But by the time he had that power, Ganon seemed to have lost sight of where he came from; his possession of Hyrule more a matter of [[{{Greed}} owning it]] than any genuine happiness. By ''Wind Waker'', he seems to regret his youthful arrogance, but he still fights to return and rule the Hyrule of his nostalgia, in the process dismissing that a new world teeming with new life and people has begun to grow on the lands atop the ocean that'd be drained to do that. It's also implied in the English translation of ''Skyward Sword'' that Ganondorf is the incarnation of the ancient Demon King Demise's grudge against Hylia after the latter was defeated by the first Link, which means Ganondorf ''originates'' from envy in a sense: though word on his death in ''Wind Waker'' from ''Hyrule Encyclopedia'' implies this isn't entirely unbreakable.
* HadesShaded: Not only does the villainous Ganondorf have a significantly darker skin tone than any of the heroes, his skin is ''green'', unlike the natural shades of brown seen with other Gerudo. Only his surrogate mothers, a pair of {{Wicked Witch}}es, share his unusual skin color.
* HappilyAdopted: Surprisingly, despite how evil he is, Ganondorf seems to [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas have a good relationship with his surrogate mothers]], Koume and Kotake, to the point that they serve as his CoDragons and he even has their names etched into his swords.
* HatedByAll: Whilst initially Ganondorf had strong support among the Gerudo, after his defeat in ''Ocarina of Time'', he went down in history as the most hated man in Hyrule. The Gerudo disowned him and only see him as a demon who pretended to be one of them. Only monsters, doomsday fanatics, and power-hungry opportunists follow Ganon now.
* TheHeavy: As the most recurring villain in the series he has played this role for most games he is in.
* HellishHorse: In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'', he rides a Black Gerudo Stallion with ''[[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]].'' In ''Tears of the Kingdom'', his steed has a more demonic appearance when leading his minions into battle to destroy Hyrule and create his own kingdom for himself.
* HijackedByGanon: The TropeNamer since nearly every ''Zelda'' game ends with a Ganon boss fight regardless of the story. This means that the majority of the villains that don't fit with the traditional Ganon's aesthetics are often revealed to be related to Ganon somehow. Ironically, despite being the final boss for nearly the entire series, Ganon only plays the trope straight on his end in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures Four Swords Adventures]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', and the spinoff ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors''.
* HonorBeforeReason: A rare villainous example: During the final fight in ''Wind Waker'', Ganondorf, after being hit by enough Light Arrows, approaches Tetra, and, instead of stabbing her, puts away his sword and simply backhands her. Also, he seems to have a habit of, whenever knocking down Link, waiting until he gets back up before he resumes his attack or does a finishing blow.
* HumanoidAbomination: He was once simply the king of the desert-dwelling Gerudo tribe, although a powerful sorcerer nevertheless. After acquiring the Triforce, however, he became something much, ''much'' worse -- which is best reflected by his changes in appearance over the seven-year time-skip in ''Ocarina of Time'': his eyes change from having yellow irises and white sclerae to red irises and yellow sclerae, his ears become pointed, and his brown skin acquires a distinct green tint. After being revived by the Triforce of Power in ''Twilight Princess'' he immediately begins transforming into Ganon, sporting BlackEyesOfCrazy and protruding fangs on his lower jaw.
* {{Immortality}}: He is the only bearer of a Triforce piece that remains the same being from appearance to appearance for this reason. It's strongly implied that Link and Zelda's spirits are reincarnated from each passing generation instead.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Done multiple times over the series in terms of the finishing blows:
** In ''Ocarina of Time'', Link, after Ganon was pinned down by Zelda, slices Ganon's face and then delivers the final blow by impaling his mouth.
** In ''Wind Waker'', Ganondorf attempts to do a last-ditch attack on Link. Link parries it, gains enough air, and then does a downward thrust through Ganondorf's head.
** In ''Twilight Princess'', Ganondorf is skewered through the chest with the Sword of the Six Sages in a flashback, and Link's finishing blow against him going right through the wound left by it.
** ''Skyward Sword'' gives this trend {{Futureshadowing}} by having Demise be defeated the exact same way as Ganondorf was in ''Twilight Princess''.
* InvincibleVillain: Ganondorf claims to be unable to be killed by any weapon without the ability to purge evil, and backs it up in ''Wind Waker''. The only weapons capable of harming him are the Master Sword and Light/Silver Arrows.
* JokerImmunity: Despite dying on-screen several times, he usually finds a way back in time for the next game. The Triforce of Power is attributed for most if not all of these returns.
* KickTheDog:
** In ''Ocarina of Time'', he freezes over Zora's Domain. Unlike his other conquests or even his attempted genocide of the Gorons, this serves no clear purpose other than to be evil [[ForTheEvulz for the sake of it]].
** Does this twice in ''Twilight Princess''. [[spoiler:First, after capturing Princess Zelda, he mounts her unconscious body over his throne like some kind of sick trophy for Link and Midna to discover. Later, after seemingly killing Midna, Ganondorf picks up her crown, looks straight at Link and Zelda, and then [[DesecratingTheDead crushes it]].]]
** His incarnation in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' laughs at and mocks King Rauru for not using the full power of his Scared Stone [[spoiler:right after murdering his wife Sonia and stealing hers.]]
* KilledOffForReal: The original Ganondorf was killed by Link at the end of ''The Legend Of Zelda I'' (Decline), ''Twilight Princess'' (Child), and ''Wind Waker'' (Adult), the latter two times due to the Triforce of Power, the source of his immortality, being separated from him. However, he is reincarnated as the Ganondorf seen in ''Four Swords Adventures'' in the Child Timeline. So far, he's stayed dead in the Adult Timeline, but this is still circumstantial and a later Demon King, Malladus, is vaguely similar to his beast form. However, in the Decline Timeline, Ganon loses the ''entire'' Triforce twice (at the end of ''A Link to the Past'' and then at the end of the original ''Legend of Zelda'' too), and we're told that there's still a way to revive him in ''Adventure of Link''. That's the final game in that timeline, so it never actually happens barring a GameOver, as far as we know. Additionally, as per the English translation of ''Skyward Sword'', his returns may additionally be driven by the terms of Demise's curse to forever plague Hyrule with the incarnation of his hatred.
* KingMook: Starting with ''A Link to the Past'', his Moblins are depicted as [[PigMan Pig Men]] to better match with Ganon in his pig demon form. Though there were games that uses the classical bulldog design like ''Ocarina of Time'', the pig design becomes the staple for the Moblins and their relatives, even when Ganon is nowhere to be seen.
* KingOfThieves: Before he obtained the Triforce of Power and became the Prince of Darkness/King of Evil, Ganondorf was the King of Thieves of the [[DesertBandits Gerudo]]. The position goes to the one male born to the tribe every 100 years.
* KnightOfCerebus: When he appears in a 3D game, he typically ends up darkening the plot. This is especially true in LighterAndSofter games like ''The Wind Waker'', where his various minions are portrayed as much goofier in comparison.
* LargeAndInCharge: In both his human and beast forms. ''Hyrule Historia'' even puts his official human form height at a staggering and stout 7 feet 6 inches. Later games show that the Gerudo tribe tend to be larger than other humans as a baseline, but Ganondorf almost always towers over other Gerudo.
* LargeHam: In various games. Bonus points for, as Ganon, making it [[FullBoarAction as literal as possible]].
* LastOfHisKind: According to ''Creating a Champion'' Ganondorf was the last male Gerudo born to his race. Considering that was more than ten-thousand years ago male Gerudo are essentially a myth by ''Breath of the Wild.'' [[spoiler:''Tears of the Kingdom'' [[SealedEvilInACan reveals there was good reason for that...]]]]
* LaughingMad: His reaction to the waves coming down on Hyrule from the Hyrulean King's wish to the Triforce in ''Wind Waker''.
* LeakingCanOfEvil: ''A Link to the Past'', ''The Wind Waker'', and ''Breath of the Wild'' all deal with how he is still able to spread his dark magic across the land despite either him or his powers being sealed up. ''Tears of the Kingdom'' reveals that the Malice in ''Breath of the Wild'' [[ItHasOnlyJustBegun was only just the appetizer for Hyrule as a whole...]] since its true form, Gloom, is more deadly and [[WreckedWeapon even destroys the Master Sword]]!
* LegendFadesToMyth:
** In ''A Link to the Past'', the story of how Ganon got the Triforce was that he rediscovered the way to enter the Sacred Realm and killed all of his followers so only he could obtain it, when he got the whole Triforce by defeating Link and was still banished to the Sacred Realm-now turned Dark World by Zelda and the Seven Sages. Justified, since no one remembers the original story from ''Ocarina of Time'', being that Ganon tricked Link into opening the door to the Sacred Realm by letting him collect the Spiritual Stones.
** By ''Breath of the Wild'', his true origin as the king of the Gerudo has become a distant, muddled myth with Urbosa saying that the Calamity Ganon once merely took the form of a Gerudo.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Agahnim's theme in ''A Link to the Past'' became Ganondorf's theme from ''Ocarina'' onwards, as the former was in many ways a prototype for the latter. It is a slow, menacing theme. He even played it on his organ one time, while waiting for Link to arrive. The various Ganon, Phantom Ganon, and Ganondorf boss battle themes go with the character too.
* LightEmUp: He has shown proficiency with light magic, and in ''Twilight Princess'', he uses the Sword of the Six Sages that he stole from the sages who sought to execute him.
* LightIsNotGood: Despite being affiliated with darkness and evil, he is the chosen wielder of the divine power of Din, and he uses the Sword of the Six Sages in ''Twilight Princess.''
* LightningBruiser: In ''Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess'', he does away with taking on Link with spells from afar and fighting as the MightyGlacier Ganon and proves to be an astonishingly agile opponent while still being bigger and stronger than Link and {{Stone Wall}}ing all but the most advanced sword attacks. Even when he is Ganon in ''Twilight Princess'', he's incredibly agile, and turns human for the final battle.
* MadeOfEvil: In ''Breath of the Wild'', Calamity Ganon is completely comprised of an evil mystical substance called Malice. The English version of ''Skyward Sword'' also implies that because Ganondorf is the manifestation of the curse placed upon Zelda and Link's descendants by Demise, Ganondorf's existence hinges on the hatred and persisting spirit of an ancient evil, possibly making him this or [[YouCantFightFate possibly fated to be evil]].
* MagicKnight: He not only possesses powerful magic, but is also unbelievably strong and skilled with melee weapons.
* ManipulativeBastard: He uses his raw cunning to manipulate people around him. He uses this skill to manipulate the King of Hyrule into believing that the Gerudo King was on his side before betraying him and attempting to steal the Triforce.
* ManlyFacialHair: In his first appearance as Ganondorf, he is clean-shaven and heavily relies on his warlock magic to fight Link. In the later games, he sports a beard and emphasizes more on melee physique, with a heavily stout body and a sword in his hand. He's also smarter and more dangerous in these bearded appearances, rarely underestimating his adversaries.
* MaouTheDemonKing: Ganondorf has been known as 魔王 ''Maou'' (Demon King), 大魔王 ''Daimaou'' (meaing '''Great''' Demon King), and 闇の魔王 ''Yami no Maou'' (Demon King ''of Darkness''), while Ganon has been known as 闇の魔王 ''Yami no Maou'', 大魔王 ''Daimaou'', and 魔獣 ''Majuu'' (Demon Beast), the latter when he is especially mindless. He rules over all the other monsters Link faces and is a persistent threat to Hyrule, returning through the ages in a constant cycle of being sealed away, escaping, being slain, and being resurrected or reincarnated.
* MeaninglessVillainVictory: One of the tragic aspects of Ganon is that he is destined to lose even when he wins.
** In ''Ocarina of Time'', Ganondorf successfully manipulates Link and Zelda into opening the door to the Sacred Realm, allowing him to steal the Triforce and become the ruler of the world for seven years. However, his heart is unbalanced and thus the Triforce splits into three pieces, leaving Ganondorf with only one Triforce Piece. The other two are given to Link and Zelda, who manage to defeat him with their combined might and the Sages.
** In the backstory of ''The Wind Waker'', Ganon nearly conquered Hyrule with ease due to the absence of the Hero of Time. This unfortunately caused the Golden Goddesses to intervene and flood Hyrule until it became the Great Sea. Undeterred, Ganondorf searches for the Triforce in the present day and successfully does so after capturing Zelda and overpowering Link before he can swing the Master Sword. Despite assembling the Triforce, Ganondorf never gets to make his wish because the King of Hyrule touched the Triforce first, who wishes for Hyrule and Ganondorf to be washed away forever.
** In the "Downfall" Timeline, Ganon succeeds in defeating Link and thus obtains the full Triforce. However, Zelda and the Six Sages still seal him away with their powers and centuries later, another incarnation of Link would arrive into the Dark World to finish off Ganon and take back the Triforce before he could break out of his seal in ''A Link to the Past''.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', Calamity Ganon completely devastates Hyrule, killing off the King, the Champions and many populations left and right with his army of possessed Guardians. He even gets Link mortally wounded, leaving Zelda as the only survivor left to face the Calamity. However, Zelda manages to use her powers to trap Ganon inside the castle for the next century, denying him the chance to savor his victory. And when he finally breaks free from Zelda's hold, the newly revived Link is right there to kick his ass once again.
* MotiveDecay: ''The Wind Waker'' indicates that he initially wanted to take over Hyrule so his people could have a better life, but over the course of ''Ocarina of Time'' he became consumed with a lust for power and by ''The Wind Waker'' his people are gone so he has no reason to want the Triforce and Hyrule other than for his own sake. In both ''Twilight Princess'' and ''A Link To The Past'', he doesn’t even bother pretending that he cares about anything but attaining Hyrule and the power of the Triforce.
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[[folder:N-Y]]
* {{Narcissist}}: Ganondorf is an extremely powerful being, [[SmugSuper and he knows it]], causing him [[ItsAllAboutMe to believe himself to be superior to everyone else]] and develop a general LackOfEmpathy towards others across all of his incarnations. Even his OlderAndWiser self from ''The Wind Waker'' still sees the people of the Great Sea as [[PitifulWorms weak and hopeless]], and [[NeverMyFault refuses to accept responsibility]] for the role he played in Hyrule's destruction.
* NighInvulnerability: In ''The Wind Waker'', Ganondorf laughs off a slash from the depowered Master Sword and scolds Link for even thinking that he could be defeated by a weapon without the power to purge evil. [[ImplacableMan Every time he is killed, he will come back to life just fine]] due to having the Triforce of Power.
* OlderAndWiser: His depiction in ''The Wind Waker'', having had a ''lot'' of time to think about things. He still wants to claim the Triforce and take over Hyrule, but he's become more philosophical and explains his original motives.
* OmnicidalManiac: If [[CameBackWrong his resurrection goes horribly wrong]], his intelligent mind will be reduced into an unstable, rampaging beast bent on destroying everything. ''Tears of the Kingdom'', despite having him in his human form, still has him command his minions to destroy all life in Hyrule so he can make a new kingdom.
* TheOneGuy: To his entire ''race''. Ganondorf is the male Gerudo born once every one hundred years, which is his claim to his title as king. This is still true in a broad metatextual sense, as while later games with the Gerudo make clear that men are sporadically born into their tribe, he's the only one to ever be portrayed onscreen.
* OneHandedZweihander: Although he's usually shown wielding a trident, some games have him wielding massive swords, most notably ''Ocarina of Time'' (as Ganon) and ''Hyrule Warriors'' (where it's his default weapon-set).
* OneWingedAngel: His boar-like beast form, Ganon, where he becomes much larger and much more powerful. Different games vary in depicting Ganon as a permanent transformation of Ganondorf and the inevitable result of his power and hatred corrupting him, or if he can transform into Ganon and back willingly. The 2D games often go with the former and the 3D games (with the exception of ''Breath of the Wild'') usually go with the latter.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Possesses the Triforce of Power, is a spectacularly skilled sorcerer and swordsman, easily mows down any and all (non-Links) who oppose him, is ''immortal''... and he generally waits around for the latest incarnation of the Hero to level up at the expense of his minions rather than deal with any potential threat himself. Subverted in some games, however, like ''Wind Waker'', where Ganon was tearing up the place before the Master Sword was sacrificed to seal most of his power and then Hyrule was flooded to keep him away.
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Though he started off a Gerudo man who happened to have access to evil magic, he is frequently characterized as a demon in games that take place chronologically after ''Ocarina of Time'', with "the Demon King" being one of his more common epithets. The English version of ''Skyward Sword'' reveals that the Demon King Demise cursed the descendants of Link and Zelda to forever face an incarnation of his hatred; whether you interpret this, based on what source you go with, to mean that Ganon is the physical embodiment of Demise's hatred or is in fact Demise reincarnated, the implication in either case is that he was actually a demon to begin with.
* PetTheDog:
** After taking over Hyrule and bringing most of the surrounding lands to ruin in ''Ocarina of Time'', Ganondorf leaves Gerudo Valley perfectly intact. Likewise, his reincarnation in ''Four Swords Adventures'' does the same even after betraying the Gerudo's laws, and seems to treat the Deku Scrubs pretty well according to their dialogue. It seems that even the King of Evil has mercy on his people and loyal followers.
** Right before his showdown with Link in ''Ocarina of Time'', Ganondorf refills his hearts and magic for no apparent reason other than because he [[VillainRespect respects]] Link and [[FairPlayVillain wants a fair fight]].
** At the end of ''The Wind Waker'', Ganondorf takes the time to [[AffablyEvil sincerely]] explain his motives and spares Link and Tetra, even reassuring the former so he won't be afraid.
--->'''Ganondorf:''' Do not fear. I won't kill you… I merely have need of the power that dwells within you.
* PigMan: The rare BigBad example of this trope. Precisely how piggish he looks frequently vary from game to game; he tends to be more pig-like in the 2d games, probably to match his iconic {{Mook}}s, the Moblins (who often see-saw between pigmen and bulldog-men themselves). His ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'' incarnations are the least piggish-looking, with the former being a hulking demonic BeastMan with a piggish nose and the latter looking like a swinishly snouted, tusked hybrid of lion and ape.
* PhysicalGod: Almost literally, as he (usually) wields the Triforce of Power, which amplifies his own abilities immeasurably, and the Triforce of Power itself is a remnant of the Goddess of Power, Din. He is also the reincarnation of the Demon King Demise as per the English translation of ''Skyward Sword''.
* PlanetOfCopyhats: In the backstory of ''A Link to the Past'', he is said to be a masterful thief on account of how he came by the Triforce. Thievery ends up being one of the main defining features of the Gerudo.
* PointyEars: While Ganondorf originally has rounded ears in ''Ocarina of Time'', after the seven-year time-jump his ears have become pointed, signifying along with his yellow sclerae that he's not quite Gerudo anymore.
* ThePowerOfHate:
** The English version of ''Skwyard Sword'' implies that he embodies the dying curse that Demise set on the descendants of the first Link and Zelda, in which that an incarnation of his hatred is destined to forever fight all of their descendants.
** This makes him transform into Ganon for the final boss fight in Ocarina in tandem with the Triforce of Power.
** As Calamity Ganon in ''Breath of the Wild'' the evil goop-like substance related to him that corrupts locations and spawns monsters is called Malice. In the final battle he loses any sort of mind or consciousness and is simply rampaging Malice incarnate.
* {{Pride}}: What really keeps undoing Ganondorf again and again is his extreme arrogance. While he has recognized Link's skill on several occasions, the King of Evil refuses to believe that the Hero is a match for him, no matter how much the latter accomplishes.
* ProgressivelyPrettier: As Ganon, he was depicted as an enormous demon boar. ''Ocarina of Time'' establishes that his default form is a tall, muscular Gerudo man, albeit with a SinisterSchnoz and a near-constant PsychoticSmirk. ''The Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess'' depict him as an older and more dignified man, and the version of him shown in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' is a shirtless MrFanservice.
* PureIsNotGood: ''Twilight Princess'' and ''Breath of the Wild'' describe Ganondorf as possessing the purest malice and ''Skyward Sword'''s English translation implies that he has inherited it from Demise.
* RageQuit: He does this in a couple games.
** After losing his first fight to Link in ''Ocarina of Time'', he primes the castle they're in to explode. When he realizes that Link survived, he goes berserk and transforms into Ganon.
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', Link manages to interrupt his reincarnation cycle and bests his physical body in battle. In response, he transforms into Dark Beast Ganon, a monster that will kill all life in Hyrule if Link does not put him down in that form.
** In ''Tears of the Kingdom'', he [[spoiler:is so infuriated that he lost to Link that he willingly undergoes DeathOfPersonality to become a giant dragon, all so he had a chance to come out on top.]]
* RaisedByGrandparents: Sort of. WordOfGod is that he was raised by Koume and Kotake, the Twinrova witches.
* RaiseHimRightThisTime: The Gerudo attempted this with the second Ganondorf in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures Four Swords Adventures]]'', [[YouCantFightFate but he turned out evil and power-hungry regardless]].
-->'''Gerudo Elder''': Once every 100 years, a special child is born unto my people. That child is destined to be the mighty guardian of the Gerudo and the desert. But this child, its heart grew twisted with every passing year. The child became a man who hungered for power at any price.
* RasputinianDeath: Being a powerful sorcerer, the wielder of the Triforce of Power, and the living embodiment of evil, he won't go down unless Link, Zelda, and their allies give him a major walloping first:
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', first Link fights him, pelts him with Light Arrows, throws his Energy Blasts [[TennisBoss back into his face]] and delivers enough sword-strikes that Ganondorf coughs up blood and collapses. Then [[LoadBearingBoss his entire tower collapses with him on the roof]], leaving nothing but bits of stone debris. He ''survives'' that due to the Triforce of Power, and transforms into Ganon. Link fights him, slashes him in the tail many times, and finishes it off by cutting up his face and stabbing deeply into it. And he ''still'' doesn't die, instead having to be sealed away in what was once the Sacred Realm.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'', to show he's been KilledOffForReal this time, he gets stabbed through the head, TakenForGranite, the tower you fought him on collapses, and the ocean rushes in and buries him under miles of water. We don't actually know for certain which of those steps really did it, either.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', it takes four phases. First he [[DemonicPossession possesses]] Zelda, gets [[BeatTheCurseOutOfHim beaten out of her]], then transforms into [[OneWingedAngel Ganon]] and receives another beating from Link. Midna then uses the [[MacGuffin Fused Shadows]] on him which causes an explosion that [[TrashTheSet levels Hyrule Castle]], and after predictably surviving that, gets his [[AnnoyingArrows body filled with light arrows]]. He falls off his horse (which looked rather painful too) and gets in a rather [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome sword fight with Link]] which ends with him getting stabbed through the chest with the Master Sword. Then he STANDS UP, gives his [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil last words]], and gets the Triforce of Power taken from him (which had been keeping him alive through all of this). We then see (the dead) Zant break his own neck ([[MindScrew for no explained reason]]), after which Ganondorf eventually dies. He is STILL standing. Not only that, but all of this happens with the wound caused by being impaled, before the game started, by the Sages, who had then sent him to the Twilight Realm. This wound is also the only vulnerable area of his Beast Ganon form.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'', almost immediately after his MechanicalAbomination form emerges from his cocoon, the [[HumongousMecha Divine Beasts]] fire their powerful lasers at him. Link then duels against him using all manner of melee weapons, arrows, and the {{Bequeathed Power}}s of the Champions. He then reforms into his Dark Beast form on Hyrule Field, where Link rides a horse while shooting Light Arrows at weak points Zelda generates. This all allows Zelda to be freed from within Ganon and deal the finishing blow by sealing him with her magic... and even then it's indicated he'll one-day return, which indeed comes to pass in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom Tears of the Kingdom]]''.
* Really700YearsOld: Hardly ages much, if at all, over the course of centuries or millennia. This is likely because of the Triforce of Power or some other artifact turning him immortal. It appears to be a constant in each timeline; with ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Four Swords Adventures'' and ''Cadence of Hyrule'' being among the few games that seem to [[AvertedTrope avert this]].
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''Tears of the Kingdom'', where he spends most of the game in a mummified state [[spoiler:until around the end and in flashbacks]]. And even then, his body is still in surprisingly good condition given how utterly ancient it is, thanks to the sealing ritual preserving him.
* {{Reincarnation}}: The Ganondorf seen in ''Four Swords Adventures'' is the reincarnation of the original Ganondorf killed in ''Twilight Princess'', and Shadow Link is a manifestation of his hatred for Link. The version of him in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' is also distinct from all previous incarnations, although it is unknown which version of Ganondorf he reincarnated from. In the English version of ''Skyward Sword'', it's implied that he is the incarnation of Demon King Demise and the hatred that he bore for Link and Zelda,. ''Hyrule Historia'' and ''Hyrule Warriors'' state Ganondorf is Demise's reincarnation too. Otherwise, most other Ganondorf appearances avert this, being the same individual across most of his appearances (albeit split across the three timelines).
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: The English version of ''Skyward Sword'' very strongly implies that Ganondorf is something of TheAntichrist of the Demon King Demise, having been directly born of a curse of Demise's hatred to forever fight with Link, Zelda, and the gods. The Japanese original, while still having Demise as a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute, is much more vague and indirect about their relation, as it states that the demons' hatred for the gods will instead continue as a sort of karmic conflict, meaning Ganondorf would have become the Demon King in a very indirect manner. ''Hyrule Historia'' supports both versions of Demise's final declaration.
* SanityHasAdvantages: Ganondorf is smart, charismatic, pragmatic, brave, patient, relentless, immortal, and ''not unstable'' -- traits which make him one of the most dangerous villains in just about any work of genre fiction. Link consistently needs his wits about him to beat Ganondorf, or to ensure that he stays beaten. Ganon, on the other hand, is a feral pig monster who is certainly dangerous but ultimately more manageable.
* SanitySlippage: One notable example of this occurs in ''Wind Waker''. When he tries to use the Triforce's power to conquer Hyrule and restore the submerged lands to how he remembered them, [[YankTheDogsChain only for King Daphnes to get there first]] and [[HeroicSacrifice wish for both Hyrule and Ganondorf to stay submerged]], he starts going LaughingMad and has no further complications over [[WouldHurtAChild murdering Link and Zelda]]. The final boss theme, with its loud, frantic drums and blaring horns, represents the deteriorating mental state of a TragicVillain violently lashing out at those who opposed/sabotaged him because he has absolutely nothing left to lose.
* ScaryBlackMan: Though more AmbiguouslyBrown, or perhaps Ambiguously Green, his skin's dark enough to give off something of this vibe. He's always been depicted as more Middle Eastern or East African than anything else, in contrast to the European-cultured Hylians.
* SealedEvilInACan: At the end of ''Ocarina of Time'' and in the backstory of the Decline timeline, he's sealed into the Sacred Realm, at the end of ''Four Swords Adventures'', he's sealed inside the Four Sword, and in the backstory of ''Breath of the Wild'', he was sealed inside Hyrule Castle, with his real body sealed WAY more deeper, as seen in ''Tears of the Kingdom''.
* ShroudedInMyth: By the time of ''Breath of the Wild'', his origins as a Gerudo have been distorted into him once adopting the form of a Gerudo.
* SinisterSchnoz: As part of his Gerudo heritage, he has a large nose. ''Ocarina of Time'' particularly has it be impressively pointy like all Gerudo. Later games tone it down, but it's still fairly big in most interpretations.
* SinisterSwine: He's evil and the animal that he often transforms into is a pig, symbolizing his greedy appetite and aggressive attitude.
* TheSociopath: The common depiction of Ganon is a greedy, uncaring evil sorcerer with an insatiable appetite for power and vicious retributions towards all who oppose him. Even though he came from a harsh desert and was tasked with the responsibility of caring for the Gerudo, there's no indication that he wants to improve his people's lives, especially after he got power to liberate them. His incarnations in ''Four Swords Adventures'' and ''Tears of the Kingdom'' don't even have the excuse of a bad upbringing, and they both jump at the chance to use an AmplifierArtifact for evil. ''The Wind Waker'' Ganondorf is the only true exception, mainly because he did have time to reflect on the suffering of his people and is far more merciful to Link and Zelda than his other incarnations.
* SorcerousOverlord: Being a powerful sorcerer is essential for Ganondorf to rule Hyrule uncontested given that nearly all of Hyrule despise him.
* StalkerWithoutACrush: To every Zelda he meets, though he only desires her for the Triforce of Wisdom she carries, rather than any desire for love.
* StayingAlive: Several games imply or outright state it is due to the Triforce of Power making him immortal.
* StoutStrength: In most of his appearances, he's either fat (as an anthropomorphic pig) or has a fatter muscular build like many power-lifters (as Ganondorf in all his appearances except ''Ocarina of Time''). However, Triforce of Power aside, he is still one of the strongest beings in Hyrule.
* SuperStrength: Along with his powerful magic abilities, his physical strength is godlike. Many times, he is portrayed as stronger and more powerful than Link (who has impressive feats of strength himself), like in ''Wind Waker'' where he completely overpowers Link (a Link who can lift giant boulders) in every encounter without even trying, or in ''Ocarina of Time'' where Link needs big magical strength enhancement gloves to even compare to Ganondorf's strength. He has feats like breaking free from heavy chains, destroying the floor of his throne room with one punch, destroying pillars which require powerful weapons for it to destroy with ease, wielding huge weapons that Link himself would struggle to wield, killing the Sage of Water with one punch, breaking free from a giant castle rubble while half dead, and creating earthquakes with his physical abilities.
* TakeOverTheWorld: His main goal in claiming the Triforce and conquering Hyrule.
* TennisBoss: Initially does this as Agahnim in ''A Link to the Past''. This later becomes a signature technique of his in ''Ocarina of Time'' and while possessing Zelda in ''Twilight Princess''.
* TimeAbyss: Due to being same guy most of the time and often sealed away rather than being killed, Ganon is ancient in many games, with people barely remembering who he was before becoming the Demon King. Calamity Ganon in ''Breath of the Wild'' is ''at least'' ten-thousand years old, and [[spoiler:his Gerudo form in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' dates back to the founding of Hyrule itself, long before even the ten-thousand year legend.]]
* {{Touche}}: Especially evident in ''Wind Waker'', when Link manages to escape or defeat Ganondorf. He always has this smirk on his face which demonstrates amusement with Link's gumption.
* TragicVillain: By way of CharacterDevelopment. Initially, Ganondorf was just a GenericDoomsdayVillain, with ''A Link to the Past'' and ''Ocarina of Time'' expanding on how he was a master thief and warlord who managed to acquire the Triforce (and, in the former game, slaughtered his own followers to possess it). In ''Wind Waker'', he was given a FreudianExcuse for coveting the Triforce, having grown up in the barren wastes of the desert whilst living right next door to the lush and prosperous Hyrule. Then, in the English version of ''Skyward Sword'', we learn that he's the reincarnation of Demise[=/=]the avatar of Demise's hatred born of a DyingCurse, meaning that he was destined to become a villain. Averted when it comes to ''Tears of the Kingdom'' as the only tragic aspect of him is the inevitability of his evil, as he otherwise is a sociopathic narcissist with no tragic, redeeming, or humanizing qualities at all.
* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: Usually caused by inconsistent translations of his Japanese title ''daimaou'' ([[MaouTheDemonKing "Demon King"]]) over the years. At this point he's Ganondorf, the Demon King, the Great King of Evil, the King of Thieves, the Dark Lord, the Prince of Darkness, the Calamity, Hatred and Malice Incarnate, the Scourge of Hyrule, the Menace Unleashed, and Master of the Secret Stone. You can then include "the Dark Beast" as a footnote in reference to his Ganon form.
* TheUnchosenOne: ZigZaggedTrope. Unlike Link and Zelda, Ganondorf did not stumble across the Triforce of Power and was not granted its power from birth. However, he still seems to embody it. Most telling is the Child Timeline, where Ganondorf failed to open the Portal of Time due to Link's intervention, but is seeming "awarded" the Triforce of Power for reasons that even the surviving Six Sages can only describe as a "divine prank". The English version of ''Skyward Sword'' additionally implies that Ganondorf is chosen for a different reason: the chosen incarnation and successor of Demise.
* UnexplainedRecovery: He has died in multiple games. He has also appeared, perfectly healthy, in games that are chronologically some time after the game in which he has died.
** According to ''[[AllThereInTheManual Hyrule Historia]]'', Ganon returns in the original ''The Legend of Zelda'' (after ''A Link to the Past'') without hinting he had died before in games which at the time weren't released. Due to the ambiguity of what happens in-between, how he inexplicably recovers is unknown, though the fact he was unsealed by Yuga in ''A Link Between Worlds'' as part of Hilda's plan to use Hyrule's Triforce to restore Lorule before Yuga himself decided to betray Hilda while he was merged with Ganon, shows that his soul survived to fight another day after Yuga's death.
** Several of the games, including ''Ocarina of Time'', strongly imply if not outright state it is due to the Triforce of Power making him immortal. In ''Twilight Princess'', the original Ganondorf is finally slain... only to [[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnate]] in time for the next chronological game.
** The backstory of ''Breath of the Wild'' makes clear Ganon was sealed away and/or dead for 10,000 years by that point, yet he suddenly appears to devastate Hyrule in the Great Calamity. While "The Champions' Ballad" says that the Yiga Clan were seeking to revive Ganon, it's not clear if they were the ones directly responsible for his return. And this is one of the few ''Zelda'' games where Ganon explicitly lacks the Triforce of Power. ''Tears of the Kingdom'' fully explains the situation: [[spoiler:he was originally Ganondorf who became the Demon King after acquiring a powerful AmplifierArtifact, and was subsequently sealed away by the first king of Hyrule. Calamity Ganon is the result of some of his evil and hate leaking out of the seal, which attacked Hyrule once and then again ten millennia later.]]
* VillainDecay: Being an intelligent and powerful villain, he isn't a usual victim of this unless the circumstances negatively affect his mind.
** In the Decline timeline, Ganon's power and [[TheChessmaster intelligence]] gradually decrease as he gets defeated by various incarnations of Link over time. In ''A Link to the Past'', he was at the height of his power, having defeated the Hero of Time and obtained the entire Triforce ages ago with an entire world at his command. The only way to defeat him was by a combination of the Master Sword (which could only stun him) and four Silver Arrows[[note]][[GameplayAndStorySegregation In-story, that is.]] Normal players will never get to Ganon without already having the Master Sword, but speedrunners and others have gotten to Ganon with only the starting sword.[[/note]]. In the ''Oracles'' games, Ganon is revived, only for the [[CameBackWrong resurrection to be botched]] and he comes back as a mindless, raging beast with limited awareness of who he is. He can be killed by any sword (with the Master Sword causing the most damage). In ''A Link Between Worlds'', Ganon is revived again to be used as a power source for Yuga's OneWingedAngel form, and Yuga remains in full control of his body. He is killed by just the Master Sword. And finally, in the original ''Legend of Zelda'', according to ''Hyrule Historia'', [[UnexplainedRecovery Ganon returns]] but lacks any of Ganondorf's intellect back in ''Ocarina of Time'', now simply a demon warlord bent on stealing the Triforce. He is ultimately slain by a non-Master Sword and one Silver Arrow this time around.
** Played with in ''Breath of the Wild'', as [[MadeOfEvil Calamity Ganon]], where he's stronger than ever, but lacks a body at that point, and is an AlmightyIdiot too due to his sheer power overriding any remaining identity as Ganon or Ganondorf. [[spoiler:Until he reawakens in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' as Ganondorf himself, and defies the trope, reaffirming exactly why he's one of the most dangerous foes in the land.]]
* VillainTeamup: He teams up with Bowser in ''Brawl'''s Subspace Emissary mode, despite the latter's dislike for him and preferring Master Hand, as well as Yuga, his Lorulean counterpart, marking the first (and so far only) time in the ''Zelda'' series that Ganon has teamed up with another villain without hijacking the plot...even if it was through possession.
--->'''Yuga:''' Behold! The Triforce of Power! Join with me! Let us destroy all ugliness in this world or any other. We shall be TRULY superior!
* VillainousBreakdown:
** In ''Ocarina of Time'', after his attempt to bury Link and Zelda with his castle had failed, Ganondorf becomes so enraged that he uses the Triforce of Power to [[OneWingedAngel transform himself into Ganon]] for the first time. As Ganon, he is a beast of pure rage and power with no strategy aside from attacking Link. When he is defeated again and gets sealed away by the Seven Sages, he reverts back to his human form cursing his jailers and vowing revenge on their descendants.
** In ''The Wind Waker'' when King Daphnes wishes for Hyrule to be destroyed moments before Ganondorf can wish for it to be his. Ganondorf proceeds to [[LaughingMad laugh]] as the ocean starts pouring down around them and then decides to just kill Zelda and Link then and there.
--->'''Ganondorf:''' This is foolishness... A future... for you? [...] Very well, then... [[DeadlyEuphemism Allow]] me to [[PrepareToDie show you... Your future...]] Yes... Allow me to show you... Just what hope you have... See how much your precious Triforce is worth!
** In ''Breath of the Wild'', he's become more of a walking natural disaster and living incarnation of ThePowerOfHate than a real character, intending to destroy the world instead of conquer it. As the final battle goes on, according to Zelda -- [[LostInTranslation at least in the English version]] -- he even gives up on trying to properly revive himself just so he can make sure Link dies.
** In ''Tears of the Kingdom'', Ganondorf himself makes a grand return with all of his intelligence that made him so dangerous to start with. As his final battle progresses, his fatally high pride is so strong that facing defeat, he chooses to sacrifice everything that he is just so that he can immediately reverse his loss. He does this [[spoiler:by turning into a mindless demonic dragon.]]
* VillainousLegacy: ''Zelda II'' and ''Phantom Hourglass'' deal to varying extents with Ganon's actions in the preceding games having some influence on the plots of the new games despite him having been killed. The English version of ''Skyward Sword'' also implies that Ganon himself is this for Demise.
* VillainsNeverLie: In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'''s NewGamePlus, Link receives the "Hero's New Clothes", which are invisible to everyone but the honest. Ganondorf can see them just fine.
* VillainRespect: Despite animosity toward him as an enemy, Ganondorf has nothing but respect for Link's courage. Numerous times, he praises Link's determination and toughness and gives an amused grin/laugh when Link outsmarts him.
* WickedCultured: As Ganondorf, aka King of Thieves, he surrounds himself with the finest arts and treasures. The most notable example is in ''Ocarina of Time'', where he plays his own theme on an organ while he waits for Link in his Tower.
* WolverinePublicity:
** Although he only appeared in four canonical games, Ganondorf (in general) is treated as the definitive version of the series' BigBad, getting more publicity than his pig demon and Calamity forms. ''Super Smash Bros.'' and ''Hyrule Warriors'' use his humanoid form as his default playable form, with his pig form being limited to brief transformations.
** The pre-rendered clip of Link and Ganondorf fighting that Nintendo showed at Space World 2000 gave Ganondorf a distinct cleaver-type sword. Promotional images of Ganondorf with that sword were used in artwork for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'', and he was eventually given the sword to use in-game for Smash attacks in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''. It is one of Ganondorf's most iconic weapons despite it never appearing in any canon ''Zelda'' games.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Thanks to his CharacterDevelopment in ''The Wind Waker''. He initially coveted Hyrule because of the harsh environment he grew up in but ended up falling hard down the DarkSide. Heck, in ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'', Zelda and Link even pitied him. It's averted with his incarnation in Tears of the Kingdom as he's shown to be an unrepentant, horrible monster of a man.
* WorldsStrongestMan: No matter the age, Ganondorf is always the strongest warrior and most powerful sorcerer alive when he appears. At his weakest, it takes armies of some of the most potent warriors and mages around to defeat him. At his strongest, divine intervention may not be enough to stop him. His power is so far above anything else in the mortal world that he will always be "chosen" by the Triforce of Power as the divine relic is forced to acknowledge his strength is supreme.
* WorthyOpponent: Considers Link one, for his courage at least. Ganondorf is prideful and arrogantly secure in his own power, but he is often pleasantly surprised by Link's ability to give him a challenge.
* WouldHitAGirl: He has zero issue fighting Princess Zelda or [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom murdering Queen Sonia]].]]
* WouldHurtAChild: Link and Zelda have frequently fluctuated in age across the games, but whenever they are children, Ganon has never been any less willing to fight them than when they are older. JustifiedTrope, as they're [[KidHero powerful heroes in their own right]] that have taken down many of his minions by the time Ganon meets up with them.
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: While very heavily [[CharacterExaggeration exaggerated]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', Ganondorf often uses various hand-to-hand combat and wrestling moves in his boss battles alongside swordplay and magic.
* XanatosGambit: In a few games or so.
** ''Ocarina of Time''. It doesn't matter who opens the Gate of Time, he'll still get a Triforce piece.
** ''Wind Waker''. The Master Sword is the only weapon that can defeat him, but freeing it gives him his full powers back.
** In ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', he repeats the gambit from ''Wind Waker'' by manipulating Cia into unsealing three parts of his soul and becoming a big enough threat that the heroes have to draw the Master Sword -- which was sealing away the final piece of his soul -- to stop her
* YouCantFightFate: The English version's implication that Ganondorf is the human reincarnation of Demise brought on by the Demon tribe's curse indicates he was fated to come into conflict with Zelda and Link.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: He has a penchant for throwing high-ranking subordinates aside once he's gotten what he wants:
** The [[AllThereInTheManual manual]] for ''A Link to the Past'' says he was originally the leader of a gang of thieves/sorcerers seeking the Triforce. Once they broke into the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf killed all the others so he could have the Triforce for himself and became Ganon.
** In ''Twilight Princess'', he granted Zant some of his powers so the latter could blanket Hyrule in Twilight and leave Hyrule Castle to Ganondorf. Yet when Midna kills Zant in the Palace of Twilight, he ''stays'' dead despite him verbally expecting Ganondorf to revive him over and over. Ganondorf later makes clear that he only valued the Twili, and by extension Zant, because he could [[ThePowerOfHate feed off their hatred]].
** In ''Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity'', Astor takes a leading role in reviving Calamity Ganon and attacking the Hyrulean forces in order to bring the kingdom to its knees. But once Astor's failures have stacked up by the final battle, and after Astor tries to ''order'' the ancient demon to attack the heroes, Ganon devours the guy in order to take on a humanoid form.
* YouKilledMyFather: He's directly responsible for killing Zelda's father the King in ''A Link to the Past'', ''Ocarina of Time'', and ''Breath of the Wild'', though only in the last game does her grief for her father play an explicit role in the story. [[spoiler:In ''Tears of the Kingdom'', he instead kills Queen Sonia, Zelda's ancestor and the first Queen of Hyrule, for her Secret Stone.]]
[[/folder]]
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!![[center: [-'''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheTriforceWielders The Triforce Wielders]]''' (Ganon/Ganondorf)-]]][[center:[-'''Recurring:''' [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaGoddessesAndAllies Goddesses and Allies]], [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaVillainsAndEnemies Villains and Enemies]], [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaRaces Races]]-]]][[center: [-'''Main Series:''' ''Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaI'', ''Characters/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle games]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords Four Swords]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures Four Swords Adventures]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap The Minish Cap]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' ([[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSwordGhirahim Ghirahim]]), ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTriForceHeroes Tri Force Heroes]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom]]''-]]][[center: [-'''Spin-Offs:''' ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames Philips CD-i Games]]'', ''[[Characters/HyruleWarriors Hyrule Warriors]]'', ''[[Characters/CadenceOfHyrule Cadence of Hyrule]]'', ''[[Characters/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity]]''-]]]

* {{Reincarnation}}: The Ganondorf seen in ''Four Swords Adventures'' is the reincarnation of the original Ganondorf killed in ''Twilight Princess'', and Dark Link is a manifestation of his hatred for Link. In the English version of ''Skyward Sword'', it's implied that he is the incarnation of Demon King Demise and the hatred that he bore for Link and Zelda,. ''Hyrule Historia'' and ''Hyrule Warriors'' state Ganondorf is Demise's reincarnation too. Otherwise, most other Ganondorf appearances avert this, being the same individual across most of his appearances (albeit split across the three timelines).

The Legendary Gerudo. The Demon King. The Aspect of Power. The Scourge of Hyrule. Hatred and Malice Incarnate.

'''The''' SorcerousOverlord of VideoGames. '''The''' EternalVillain.

The Legendary Gerudo. The Demon King. The Aspect of Power. The Scourge of Hyrule. Hatred and Malice Incarnate.

'''The''' SorcerousOverlord of VideoGames. '''The''' EternalVillain.

!![[center: [-'''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheTriforceWielders The Triforce Wielders]]''' (Ganon/Ganondorf)-]]][[center:[-'''Recurring:''' [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaGoddessesAndAllies Goddesses and Allies]], [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaVillainsAndEnemies Villains and Enemies]], [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaRaces Races]]-]]][[center: [-'''Main Series:''' ''Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaI'', ''Characters/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle games]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords Four Swords]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures Four Swords Adventures]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap The Minish Cap]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaTriForceHeroes Tri Force Heroes]]'', ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom]]''-]]][[center: [-'''Spin-Offs:''' ''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames Philips CD-i Games]]'', ''[[Characters/HyruleWarriors Hyrule Warriors]]'', ''[[Characters/CadenceOfHyrule Cadence of Hyrule]]'', ''[[Characters/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity]]''-]]]

* AmbiguouslyRelated: While Ganondorf has a connection to Demise, the finer details behind it vary from source to source. In the Japanese version of ''Skyward Sword'', Demise promises that his demon army will continue to plague Hylia's subjects, which is fulfilled by Ganondorf coming to power and taking over Demise's role as the Demon King. ''Hyrule Historia'' and ''Hyrule Warriors'' paint Ganondorf as the reincarnation of Demise himself, although the English version of ''Skyward Sword'' leans more towards Ganondorf being the AnthropomorphicPersonification of Demise' hatred.

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: In most of the games they appear together, Ganondorf is shown to love his equally villainous step-mothers, Koume and Kotake. In ''Wind Waker'', his swords are named after them.

** After being seemingly defeated at the end of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', Zelda laments Ganondorf's hubris led to his own downfall.